Question:
Why do I eat like this?

I've struggled with my weight for 25 years. One thing I've never been able to figure out about my over-eating is that I'm unable to control the amount of cookies, cake, etc. I eat at a time. I have this terrible compulsion to eat it all until it's gone. It doesn't matter if I'm starting to feel sick, I just keep eating it until it's gone. Does anyone have any insight on this?    — Christine L. (posted on February 16, 2002)

February 16, 2002
I truly feel your pain. I went through the same thing but for only around ten years. I would eat myself into a 'food coma' until I would literally pass out and fall into a deep sleep. It was horrible! I would eat and eat and eat. I didn't realize I had developed a horrible eating disorder until I signed up as a guinea pig for a local university that was doing a totally unrelated study. The man doing the intake on me looked me in the eye and said "you have a eating disorder, you need help and you need it NOW!" I was shocked that was I was doing was an eating disorder. I thought only anorexia and bulimia were eating disorders. It took a while for me to admit my problem but I finally did and was in counseling nearly three years. I still have a daily struggle with this especially post op. Now I have gone to the other extreme and never ever want to eat. I have re enrolled myself in counseling because I know I can't do this on my own. Please get help right away, there are caring compassionate people out there WHO DO understand what you are going through and can help! Good Luck! Amy
   — purdue_1993

February 16, 2002
I have a girlfriend who washes her tile floors every day... when I am at her house she wipes up the counters if I set a glass on it. When we bake cookies together at Christmas she washes everything as I set it on the counter, even when I am not done with it. She is compulsive about cleaning and cleanliness. I was compulsive about Entenmanns Ultimate Crumb Cake... damn if I didnt whittle away at those suckers until they were gone. Actually anything until it was gone... I would have to throw pies down the garbage disposal to stop myself from finishing them. My poor husband would want a piece of the pie from the day before and I would have either have eaten it or crammed it down the disposal. Same compulsion, different manifestations. I dont have any trouble now... because I dont cross over the dessert line AT ALL. I make great sugar free, low carb desserts when we entertain and I eat a very small piece, not the entire thing. I have lost enough weight where NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS THIN FEELS! So it is simple even at 8 months post op
   — SusanMaria

February 16, 2002
My daughter and I were talking about this very same thing today. I had RNY open 1/8/01. She is very over weight and will look into getting the surgery when she and her husband return to the U.S. Neither of us can start eating anything sweet without eating the entire package or whatever until it is completely gone. Her husband cannot understand how someone can do that; we cannot understand why he can't understand. We still haven't figured out why we do that. After RNY surgery I had head cravings for sweets when I'm under stress, but when it comes down to eating it I cannot over do it at all. You'll be very surprised how much your eating habits and tastes will change after the operation.
   — [Anonymous]

February 16, 2002
You may think this is crazy but go buy the book, The Carbohydrate Addicts Diet" by Heller and Heller. I did this just to get insight on WHY I EAT SOO MUCH GARBAGE....it was an amazing insightful experience... and it was a great book for me to read prior to surgery as not I focus on protein. I do not do protein drinks!!!! Hope this helps... I can soo relate.....
   — Pamela W.

February 20, 2002
Pam is right on the book. I got it years ago and it really opened up my eyes to why I could'nt stop eating.
   — Danmark